A senior Barrister of Hardwicke Chambers in London has called for the age of consent to be lowered to '13' ' To end the persecution of old
men'

She has also called for an end to anonymity for complainants.

In a controversial intervention, Barbara Hewson, a senior barrister at Hardwicke chambers in London, also called for the end of anonymity for
complainants. The lawyer, who specialises in reproductive rights also claimed crimes committed by disgraced broadcaster Stuart Hall were ''low
level misdemeanours''.

I think this woman must be sick in the head! How could she justify this?

But amid the storm of comdenation, she stood by her comments today as she quoted François-Marie Arouet, the 18th century philosopher, in her bid to
defend her "opinion".

She has to be friggin kidding???? There is entirely too much molestation of kids by old men, so the solution is to decriminalize the molestation of
kids by old men?? Oh what a brilliant move! Why not just eliminate the whole crime and issue of murder ..by making IT legal too! Funny how we could be
a crime free society, overnight, if we simply change some language in the 'ol criminal code, huh?

I think the person SAYING a thing like this needs some hard core looking after by authorities who know what to be looking for. Something stinks in
this one like corruption and evil on steroids. What a perfectly obscene and filthy thing to suggest!

(* Not you, OP... It's important to share such stories ..so we can see how far any sense of basic decency has fallen among some people)

I wonder when the consensual age laws began in this country, because back in the day you could marry/sleep with young children and it wasn't even
frowned upon. Regardless, this person obviously has no children to say something like that...

I wonder when the consensual age laws began in this country, because back in the day you could marry/sleep with young children and it wasn't even
frowned upon. Regardless, this person obviously has no children to say something like that... [/quot

In the Victorian era the age of consent for females was raised from thirteen to sixteen.

Ms Hewson argued that ''touching a 17-year-old's breast, kissing a 13-year-old, or putting one's hand up a 16-year-old's skirt'' are not
comparable to cases such as the Ealing Vicarage rape or Fordingbridge gang rape and murders from 1986. She added: ''Anyone suggesting otherwise has
lost touch with reality.''

I honestly cant believe she is serious!

Lowering the age of consent would put more young people at risk from sexual predators surely!

i'm actually surprised the age of consent is 16 and is accepted by many countries, they are still retarded at that age. Still needs holding hand,
still needs money from parents but damn it to hell if they get involved in their sex life!

I'd say it is her, who has lost touch with reality. When she can honestly make the case for setting levels of wrong to rape or molestation of kids by
adults? Well.... The only distinction I see is the possible one for length of prison term. It sure isn't a question of right or wrong. Ouch... She
needs some professional help....and perhaps a look into her own past. Was she the product of molestation? I hear that can warp a person's whole
future life in how they view such things ..even make them prone to become ones who perpetuate the cycle. Certainly not in ALL cases ...but her
statements make me wonder more than most.

What is strikingly different today is how Britain’s law-enforcement apparatus has been infiltrated by moral crusaders, like the National Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC). Both groups take part in
Operation Yewtree, which looks into alleged offences both by and not by Savile.

These pressure groups have a vested interest in universalising the notion of abuse, making it almost as prevalent as original sin, but with the modern
complication that it carries no possibility of redemption, only ‘survival’. The problem with this approach is that it makes abuse banal, and
reduces the sympathy that we should feel for victims of really serious assaults

It's a sad world where laws are attempted to be set in place - to benefit the predator.

Predators are the human beings that deserve a ticket to death. They are dangerous, and see themselves somehow as more important, or better than
everyone else. More entitled. The laws somehow don't apply to them in their minds... Yet, we're just going to lower the age of legal consent so we
can redefine the predators... and give them more rope to tie up their prey! These are children! Those old farts will target - legally - if that act
would be sent through! (I can't believe they would send it through though).

To think that this woman thinks a 13 year old has learned enough in life to have an emotional maturity equal to that of an adult! How in the world did
she get her position? And here I thought American politics had all the whack a doodles. They're found the world over... I swear it has to be the
power. It corrupts... I can't believe they all started that way - instead I have to believe, their swayed once they enter the viper pit... The minds
a soft thing, easily changed and bended...

Young people today are dealing with bullying/violence at home/school/internet, drugs/alcohol, teenage pregnancy, and STDs. The number of children
diagnosed with ADD etc. is also on the rise yet this moron addresses the need of disgusting old men???

I agree with luciddream young teens today aren't mature enough to handle what they've already got on their plate.

Unless she's 13 it's not her call. She needs to ask 13 year old kids what they think about creepy old men feeling them up at will. She might like it
but she really shouldn't be speaking for 13 year old children.

Well said Wrabbit; the first thing I thought of (warped mind?) to much radiation change the acceptable levels. To much of anything harmful, but money
making, change the law so it will be acceptable. To many old powerful men diddling little girls change the age of consent!! The Georgia Guide stone
may be correct with such thinking being rampant today?

Indeed... In some ways, we're becoming the modern version of Sodom and Gomorrah. Let's hope that doesn't carry clear into the true sense of a
couple unwanted visitors to correct matters. I don't recall the story being all that discriminating about who got corrected in the end.

That was back before even that text got it's P.C. Part II, where everything was warm and fuzzy and consequence came with 'get outta hell free'
cards, eh?

Wow that is the very definition of insanity, 13 year olds are still baby's they aren't even fully grown, must be sick in the head.

I get that a lot of sucky situations arise because a 19 year old loves a 17 year old or even 18 and 16 but 13 is too young for anyone but other 13
year olds and then it shouldn't be anything other than hand holding and pg-13 romance movies. Old men have no business putting their hands on anyone
under eighteen period.

if some old man trys to put their hand on my daughter when she is thirteen, i'll freaking chop their hand off.

I would argue that there are two key components to establishing the age of sexual consent, firstly I think it should be based on the age of the full
development of sexual organs, that is to say when girls have their period and boys, well balls drops. So we average out what ever age that is and
that should be factored in to establishing the age of consent, right now that might put it at 14 ( I don’t know the exact stats). In other words the
age at which a individual is able to take part in the act of sex and conceive a child should be a factor in establishing the age of consent.

Now before you all start calling me a monster I would point out that there is perhaps even more important factor and that is the mental ability to
comprehend the act itself and have the sexual maturity to understand the act. I Don’t think that 14 year olds have that maturity and I don’t even
think that 16 year olds have it either, I know I didn’t. As such I believe the age of consent should be 18, but even that is pushing it, this factor
creates quite a interesting argument.

So what do I think of what this barrister has to say about lowering the age of consent to 13, quite frankly I think she should be stripped of her
right to practice law for such stupidity. You will note above I have stressed the importance of sexual maturity but more so than that we need to
enforce a higher age of consent to protect children from dangerous individuals. Any attempt to lower the age of sexual consent should be challenged
in the strongest possible way.

We need to keep our kids safe from these old men this barrister is protecting!

I think we need make the laws against those who seek to harm our kids even harsher, I would not be opposed to chemical castration and forced hard
labour for anyone who harms a child.

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